FAQs

General

SMS day camp is located on the campus of St. Mark’s School at 25 Marlboro Road, Southborough, Mass. Our campus is approximately five minutes from Route 9, with convenient access to the Mass Pike and Route 495.

Directions

Children in all SMS programs travel by car to and from camp. Each family will be required to submit a list of authorized drivers to pick up their camper(s).

Daily snacks and lunch are provided for all participants. The food service professionals at St. Mark’s School provide a well-balanced, nutritious lunch. Each day, menu choices include an entrée, sides, drink and dietary restriction alternatives. We also provide a daily snack. If your child has a food allergy or special dietary needs please be in touch with us before the summer. Check out our sample menu!

Our Division Directors work closely with our Head Chef and families that have allergy or dietary needs as well as our health office to provide safe and appropriate meals for all participants. If your child has a food allergy or special dietary needs please be in touch with us before the summer. While we make every attempt to be a nut-safe program, SMS cannot guarantee a 100 percent nut-free environment.

SMS is located on the campus of St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Mass. During the winter and spring months we invite you to visit us at various camp fairs throughout the surrounding communities as well as scheduled tours on campus. A Meet and Greet is typically scheduled in the spring before camp begins.

Check out our Instagram or Facebook for upcoming event dates and locations!

We love hearing from families throughout the year! During the winter and spring, please feel free to reach out via phone or email during our regular business hours, Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

508-786-1223
info@stmarkssummer.org

With multiple gyms, an indoor turf space, large gathering spaces, and a full-size auditorium, SMS has sample indoor space. In the event of stormy or inclement weather, or excessive heat, alternate indoor activities may replace outdoor events. We are pleased to be able to offer dedicated indoor space for each group as well as areas for indoor specialty activities.

In the event of light rain, participants may still participate in some activities outdoors—raincoats are recommended. Children will not spend time outside in times of heavy rain or stormy weather.

The goal of the behavior management policy at St. Mark’s Summer is to provide every participant with a safe, nonthreatening environment which facilitates growth socially, physically, and emotionally within our programs. We recognize that all situations are unique and they will be treated as such. Behaviors which may warrant immediate suspension or removal from the program can include leaving the group (running away), endangering or purposefully hurting another participant or staff member, and the theft or destruction of property belonging to individuals or to St. Mark’s School or its partners.

Our summer team includes a mix of St. Mark’s School faculty and coaches, young adults, and local students who are all chosen for their skills, passions, depth of experience, strength of character, and embodiment of the SMS spirit. 

Our full-time administrative team spends the year planning and preparing for the summer, while our seasonal team convenes in the spring to complete their training and preparations. All SMS staff are required to complete CORI and SORI background checks, fingerprinting, and additional licensing requirements based on their role. A full staff orientation is held before our programs begin and all staff are certified in CPR and first aid . Throughout the summer, staff are in continuous partnership with the administrative team to further their own professional development and growth.

Yes. We accept electronic payments for deposits, tuitions, and add-ons through our online application platform. A deposit is required for each session and is applied to the final tuition. Deposits are refundable until March 1. Families may choose to pay their balance in full at the time of registration or using our convenient Installment Plan. Please visit your CUB portal for detailed options.

Yes! A sibling discount of 10 percent is applied to eligible family enrollments when registrations are submitted at the same time. 

Current faculty and staff of St. Mark’s School and St. Mark’s Summer staff are eligible for additional discounts. Please contact us for more information.

Health, Safety, and COVID-19

The SMS Health Center is staffed with trained health professionals (e.g. nurses, EMTs, nursing students, etc) to staff our Health Office during the summer for all participants. We also have a consulting relationship with a local pediatrician. If you have questions or concerns about a specific medical need, please reach out to us before the summer.

Up-to-date COVID-19 policies and procedures will be provided to enrolled families in the spring prior to the start of camp. These protocols will be based on the Massachusetts State Guidelines as well as the local Board of Health and our medical partners.

The COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory to attend camp at this time. If needed, up-to-date COVID-19 policies and procedures will be provided to enrolled families in the spring prior to the start of camp. These protocols will be based on the Massachusetts State Guidelines as well as the local Board of Health and our medical partners.

Traditional Camp

All campers participate in swimming lessons every day, taught in small groups by our certified swim instructors. Campers will be tested and placed in the appropriate level group at the beginning of their session. If the instructor deems a camper has progressed to meet all of the required skills they will be advanced to the next level.

Camper groups are assigned by age—with children of the same or adjacent ages depending on enrollment. Groups include all genders, with changing options provided for swim times. Every group has multiple counselors assigned to it. Average group sizes range from 12 to 16 campers.

Enrichment & Specialty Camps

Enrichment camps provide an option for campers to enrich their day with a morning focus on a topic of their choosing. This could be anything from cooking to recreational soccer or tennis to musical theater. Enrichment campers participate in Traditional camp activities after lunch. 

New for 2024, our sports Specialty camp is a full-day focus that takes a deeper dive into basketball for campers who are looking to specialize and refine their skills in a more rigorous environment. 

Enrichment campers participate in free swim on most days. Campers in our sports Specialty camp (full day) may have an opportunity to swim on some days depending on their schedule. 

Enrichment campers spend the morning in their selected specialty—typically from 9:00 a.m. until lunchtime. Following lunch, Enrichment campers engage in a variety of traditional camp activities alongside campers in our Traditional Camp program. See a sample Enrichment daily schedule here.

Enrichment camps are led by a variety of instructors—St. Mark’s School coaches, faculty, professional teachers, long standing partners/third-party providers, and enthusiastic experts in their fields. SMS vets and forms a relationship with any potential partners, and many of these connections are long-standing partnerships through their work with St. Mark’s School or the camp industry. Anyone working with SMS during the summer completes the necessary background, CORI, SORI, and fingerprinting requirements. Learn more about our summer partners here. 

Enrichment camps are offered to a range of ages depending on the scope and sequence of the specialty. In general, Enrichment camps are grouped by similar age ranges as our Traditional Camp programs, through there are some exceptions.

Nestled among 200 acres—
Check out our facilities

Register Today!